REYR Reinvents the Fly Rod

It has no eyelets and telescopes from a small handle. The REYR Gear First Cast is a western-style fly fishing rig like none we’ve seen.

When it comes to fly rods, there hasn’t been a massive change in quite a while. Sure, high-end rods trumpet new materials like space-grade graphene. Lighter weight and better casting give new models an edge.

But most fly rods are cut from a similar pattern.

That was until we laid our eyes on the REYR Gear First Cast. This fly rod is from another lineage altogether.

REYR First Cast: Telescoping, Internally-Routed Fly Rod

This REYR fly rod upends traditional design.

First, it telescopes. Outside of Tenkaras and a handful of cheap big box rods, telescoping rods are rare in the fly fishing world.

A telescoping rod could be cool because it deploys quickly. No more fiddling with multiple rod segments. No more threading eyelets. Just pull it out, telescope it, and fish. Sounds lovely. And this is all possible due to element two.

This fly rod is internally routed. What do I mean by “internally routed?” Well, I borrowed the term from the bike world. There, it means that cables pass inside the frame, giving bikes clean, sleek exteriors. In the fly fishing world, I’ll say it means the line goes up the middle of the rod.

How does this work for fishing? I’m not sure just yet. We haven’t seen this rod in person. But shoot, this seems like an innovative idea that just might work. The brand admits that this has been done before, but it’s certainly a rarity in fly fishing. If you’ve used a quality rod with an internal line, let us know how it worked.

REYR First Cast: Launching Today

According to the brand, he launched the rod with the goal of “engineering a lightweight rod that maintains the tactile feel of a fly rod while also being travel-friendly.”

He claims the setup can go from your travel bag to the first cast in less than 30 seconds. Those who’ve set up fly rods at the side of a stream know every second can feel like an eternity when fish are hitting the surface. So speed is a trait I appreciate.

The First Cast stores down 17-inches long. Extended, it fishes at eight feet, six inches. It stashes in small packs for travel or under the seat of your car, rigged for that after work cast.

The brand admits that it won’t out-cast a traditional rod for distance.

But what it will do is put you on the water faster than your buddy. Catch a fish while they’re still lining-up on the bank.

Each rod is sold set up with a CNC’ed Aluminum reel, matched line, and storage bag. Get one for $279, and get on the water fast.

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Editor-in-Chief Sean McCoy is a life-long outdoorsman who grew up hunting and fishing central Wisconsin forests and lakes. He joined GearJunkie after a 10-year stint as a newspaperman in the Caribbean, where he learned sailing and wooden-boat repair. Based in GearJunkie's Denver office, McCoy is an avid trail runner, camper, hunter, angler, mountain biker, skier, and beer tester.